Black Cat and Sunflower
by MadHatterLilith
Summary: Shouta and Yagi meet one rainy night where a series of bad choices (on Shouta's part mostly as his survival instinct is weak as frick) leads to an odd but precious relationship...and then All Might comes to teach at UA.
1. "Hello, Mr. Black Cat!"

**Full Summary: ****Shouta and Yagi meet one rainy night where a series of bad choices (on Shouta's part mostly as his survival instinct is weak as frick) leads to an odd but precious relationship.**

**Shouta loves him, loves his paintings, his coffee, his smile. To him, Yagi's brighter than the sun. Their secret little friendship meant more to him than he'd admit.**

**Yagi adores Shouta, wants to care for him and see him every morning. He wants to be there when the hero feels weak, to be there when he's happy. But he can't, not with such a huge secret weighing on him...**

**...and then All Might comes to teach at UA.**

\--

It was his little secret when it started.

It wasn't that Shouta was ashamed of it or anything; there just wasn't much to tell. Besides, keeping it secret made it feel more...intimate, he supposed. More meaningful. Everyone had secrets. Hizashi didn't like people to know that he once needed speech therapy. Nemuri, despite her shameless hero persona, didn't like people to know who she was dating mostly because she didn't want people to hassle them. Everyone had secrets and it was no big deal. So he didn't see any problem with keeping those nights to himself, not even when nights turned to days. Nor when he found himself foolishly, hopelessly in love.

It was a Sunday night with heavy rain, the roads and sidewalks wet and slick; not an ideal situation for a stake out or a fight. Shouta could barely see in front of him. He faintly remembered his own teachers telling him to run when the odds were so highly stacked against him, remembered telling his own students to use any tactic or escape in situations like this not even a month ago, but he ignored it all.

All the signs showed this villian, a serial killer targeting single young men, leaving town in the next few days. After a confrontation with a hero, known or underground, this woman was surely going to skip town as soon as possible.

She got in a few nicks and cuts but not much more before Shouta could finally capture her, wrapped up in his scarf. For someone committing such a serious crime, she didn't put up much of a fight. Then again, she caught all her victims by surprise, and Shouta, having tailed her all day, was anything but surprised. Well, not anything. Just exhausted and sore. Even though she hadn't gotten any good hits in, he still had aches all over his body from losing his balance and crouching in a dumpster all day. Not to mention the fact that he hadn't slept a wink in about twenty four hours.

He unceremoniously dumped his capture of the night at the police station, filled out the paperwork, and dragged himself back outside. The rain was so heavy, he couldn't see ahead of him, but he'd walked this route enough times in his life that he didn't need to see. Or so he thought, anyhow.

Looking around didn't help him figure out where he'd gotten turned around at. Not only could he not see, this whole road was unfamiliar territory. Where was his apartment, and where the heck did all these nice houses come from? Shouta glared at the house in front of him, the light blue paint bright and the flowerbeds well tended, like it was the source of all his problems. He held onto the house's front gate to steady himself as his legs buckled slightly from exhaustion, scowling. They were going to do this now? In front of a stranger's house? He didn't notice blue eyes peeking through the house's yellow curtains, and he didn't turn his head to look in curiosity when the door opened. They were just going to chase him away anyhow, weren't they?

"Sir?! Are you alright?!" Oh, that was a surprise; he expected then to yell or something but this guy sounded concerned, genuinely concerned. "What are you doing out here without an umbrella? Come inside and get warmed up!"

Shouta didn't want to; it was a bad idea no matter how he looked at it. But the desire for a warm place to rest overrode his logic and usually sharp senses and he found himself following the man inside without much of a second thought.

"I'll make you some coffee. Or would you prefer tea?" Shouta mumbled something that sounded vaguely like coffee, too busy looking around the room. This man either made them or he collected them but his All Might collection would probably put even the most extreme fanatic to shame. "Sorry about all...that." The man laughed softly. "I get a lot of it free, but it feels bad to just throw it out."

"You're not a fan?" He didn't really care one way or another but he figured some conversation would make the other man more comfortable about inviting a stranger into his house. The man laughed again, louder this time. It was a nice sound.

"Not exactly, no. You could say I'm more an acquaintance." There was something about the way the man said that that convinced Shouta he wasn't telling the full story. Whatever; they were strangers, there was no reason for him to tell him everything. "Here, coffee. It might be a bit burnt, but it'll still warm you up." Shouta finally looked at the stranger, and damn, he was tall. "I'll go get you some dry clothes. You can change in the restroom, the first door on the left of the hallway."

Shouta just nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. It had sugar in it, which he usually hated, but he wasn't going to complain. Coffee was coffee and good coffee was heaven. This was good coffee, actually. He'd have to remember to ask the tall blond where he got it from.

Shouta watched from the corner of his eye as the man came back. He was tall, easily six foot something, blond with fluffy hair, and his clothes hung off of his skinny frame like they weren't really his own. He had sunken blue eyes; Shouta saw something familiar in them, the look of someone who'd just seen too much of the world, all its ugliest parts. A soldier? Cop? Former hero, perhaps?

"Here. They might be a bit baggy, sorry. I'll put your clothes in the dryer for you if that's ok?" The blond man smiled and Shouta wanted to slap himself for thinking that it was kind of cute.

"Sure." He left to go change, thankful for the bathroom's lack of All Might merchandise. He didn't think he could comfortably change with those creepy blue eyes watching him from everywhere. He threw his own clothes down, hearing the soaked clothing hit the floor with a loud splat. Gross. He pulled on the dry clothes, not paying attention to the dozens of bruises all over his body. That was just the price of hero work.

"Where's the dryer?" Aizawa asked, his wet clothes, sans his capture weapon which was still wrapped around his neck, balled up in his arms. The man pointed him to the laundry room, which was right across the hall from the room he'd changed clothes in. He chucked them in and started it like he would in his own house. Well, if he did his laundry that often anyway. Without even a hint of shyness or politeness, he walked back into the living room where he'd left his mug of coffee. The man had even refilled it for him.

He was oddly kind, but, despite knowing that he logically should, Shouta couldn't find it in him to be suspicious of the radiant man. He was hiding something but somehow he still felt genuine. "I was watching a movie earlier. If you'd like, I can rewind it and we can watch together while your clothes dry. It's called 'The Cat Returns.'"

Hell yeah. "Sure." Shouta replied as if he didn't actually care. Hizashi had gotten him to watch the movie—and several studio Ghibli films—after a ton of pestering, and he was only mildly embarrassed to say that he loved them (mostly because Hizashi would gloat.) He especially loved The Cat Returns; the cat kingdom was like a place out out of his dreams.

He felt himself drifting off even before the title showed. Warm, dry, and more at ease than he should be...It was a fight between his exhaustion and survival instincts, keeping him on the very verge of falling asleep while remaining, just barely conscious.

His survival instinct was apparently the weakest part of him. Figures.

He woke up feeling more rested than he had in months, his face buried in the fluffiest pillows he'd ever felt in his life. Birds were chirping right outside the window. He heard clattering, the sound of cooking food, but the bed was too warm, too comfortable, for him to even think about getting up. Wait, the bed?

He sat upright, feeling like a fool for not having noticed it earlier. How had be woken up in bed when he drifted off on the couch? A stranger's couch no less! He quickly checked his pockets; he was still wearing that stranger's shirt and sweatpants. Wallet, keys, phone...all there. He didn't have any bruises or marks on him that weren't there before. His clothes weren't messed up or removed. Aside from the fact that he'd done something stupid enough to make him doubt his sanity, he was fine. Nothing had happened.

He was still stupid for letting his guard down.

Grumpily he staggered into the kitchen, following the heavenly smell of coffee. He glared at the tall blond man with his stupid fluffy hair and brighter than the sun smile despite foolishly accepting the mug from him. "Who the hell are you, and why was I in your bed?" Shouta shot venomously. Holy crap, the coffee was even better than last night's.

"Don't you remember? I invited you in last night. You looked like you were about to die!" The man cheerily continued making his omelette. "You fell asleep so I let you take the bed. I slept on the couch! Don't worry!" The man looked slightly red faced. "Ah, your clothes are dry, by the way!"

"You're a bit calm for someone who let a stranger into their house." Shouta continued to glare. "I'll ask one more time; who are you?"

"My name's Yagi. Yagi Toshinori." The man replied, scooting the omelette out of the pan and onto a plate. "It's not the first time; I don't like seeing people hurt if I can help it." He put two pieces of buttered toast on top and set the plate on the dining table. "I know you probably have places to be but have breakfast before you go! It's the most important meal of the day!"

"Bulls—" Shouta remembered with a start something he really shouldn't have forgotten. He pulled out his phone to see several missed calls from Hizashi. Hitting the call back button, he pressed his phone to his ear with one hand while anxiously messing with his hair with the other. "'Zashi, I—"

"SHOUTA!" The black haired man winced in pain as his best friend screeched into his phone. "I was so worried! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! It's chaos without you! Please tell me you're getting back from the stakeout!"

"Stakeout went fine. I just fell asleep somewhere, that's all. I'm going to be a bit late so cover my classes for me, would you?" Shouta reported in as he went to get his clothes, pulling them out of the dryer with his one free hand.

"Knew it! HEY, NEMURI! TELL ECTO HE OWES US! WE WON THE BET!" Hissing in pain, Shouta pulled the phone far away from his ear. "YEAH! I'll cover for you, no problem! I love your kids this year!"

Shouta didn't even bother to thank him before he hung up. Hizashi wouldn't mind; he knew him well enough to know that phone calls just made the Erasure hero anxious for reasons he couldn't quite explain. Besides, they were best friends. There was no reason to worry about common manners with him.

He changed, pulling the baggy, plain white T-shirt Yagi had loaned him over his head, taking time to examine his bruises before pulling off the navy blue sweatpants as well. His side was decorated with black, blue, and spots of healing yellow in-between. Some he knew were from old fights, training his students, and from running into crappy furniture at home. Others he could identify by soreness were from last night. He'd lost his balance more than once, had been stuck in a dumpster for hours while the metal edges inside jabbed at his ribs, and had fought an armed serial killer with limited visibility. A few bruises were to be expected.

He pulled his black jumpsuit back on and adjusted his scarf. He needed new goggles; his current pair had recently been busted. The lasted a few years though; that's pretty good for hero equipment. It gets more wear and tear than anything else after all. Fully dressed and a hundred percent ready to refuse to eat anything any skeletal blond tried to feed him, he stepped out of the bathroom.

"I'm going. Thanks for the coffee and sleep." Shouta grumbled as he glanced over at the man. "I don't eat food from strangers. But thanks anyway." Yagi looked down at the plate, somewhat disappointed. If Shouta was as tired as he was last night, he might've caved or felt guilty. But now at least he could think clearly enough to stop himself.

"Take care of yourself!" The blond man waved him off after shoving an umbrella in his hands. "The weather report's calling for rain." He didn't get a chance to refuse before Yagi was bringing his rejected omelette over to the house next door. An elderly woman answered the door and accepted the meal happily.

_I was stupid last night_, Shouta thought as he drug himself home, relying on _Google's_ instructions to get him back. He tugged at his scarf as he thought, _I was stupid, but it could've been worse. At least the person I stupidly trusted is honest._

It wasn't until much later that he'd catch himself wondering about why Yagi hadn't just eaten it himself.

\--

"It's a cold." Nemuri decisively announced, checking the thermometer. "Shouta, you had an umbrella when you got here yesterday! Why didn't you use it on your stakeout?" He just scowled at her from inside his warm sleeping bag. "Honestly! You're a teacher! Your students will be using you as a role model, you know!"

"You're one to talk." He shot back, his voice hoarse. She just grinned in reply.

"See, Hizashi? He's going to be just fine!" The blond stopped pacing for just a moment before finding something else to worry about. "Don't worry if he has enough energy to be sarcastic, he'll be alright!"

"But...Shouta, you don't have anything at home for colds or anything do you? OH GOD! We have to get to the store QUICK! SHOUTA'S GOING TO DIE!" The sick man in question sighed. Looked like he was going to the store today whether he liked it or not.

Turns out, when you're sick, you have to eat sick people food like soup or some other kind of light but nutritional meal. That was good; it made eating less of an effort. Even when healthy, he wasn't fond of eating heavy meals. The downside of it, because nothing in his life was ever good without a catch, was that there were too many types of canned soup.

"You'll be fine here, right? I'm going to help Hizashi get medicine before he tries to buy the whole pharmacy." Nemuri didn't even wait for a reply before she left. It wasn't like she was going to get one even if she'd stayed; Shouta was too busy staring at the wall of canned soup in front of him.

Why were there so many kinds? Why was a simple chicken and rice or tomato soup not good enough for anyone anymore? What was the point of getting fancy with canned soup? It's just canned soup! Sick and feeling somewhat lost, he scanned the isle before picking the cheapest and smallest can of chicken and rice he could find.

"That one's the cheapest, but it's mostly water. The one right above it is a bit more expensive, but it's better for you when you're sick." A familiar voice advised him. Shouta glanced up to see Yagi leaning over him, concern in his blue eyes. Damn, they were really blue...It was only when Yagi's cheeks flushed a bright red that Shouta realised he'd said that aloud.

Being sick is weird.

The sneeze that followed his unintentional complement hurt so bad he expected more blood than mucus. Groaning, he shoved his hand in his pocket for a tissue just to come up empty. "Here. I carry a lot around with me." Yagi handed him a whole mini-pack. He nodded in thanks before blowing his nose, not in the mood to care about how gross the sound was. "Do you have any medicine or anything at home?" For a stranger, Yagi was way too concerned about others.

"My friends are getting stuff. I'm in charge of soup." Shouta replied, completely deadpan. Yagi chuckled.

"You're lucky to have such nice friends." Yagi smiled, putting a few cans of tomato soup into his shopping basket. "They must care a lot for you." Shouta shrugged even as a smile threatened to show on his face. "Are they pro heroes as well?" The black haired man froze up, fixing Yagi with a suspicious stare.

"'I never told you I was a hero." Yagi didn't look bothered by the fact that Shouta was on edge around him; he just organized the cans of soup in his basket.

"My close friend is a detective; I know about a lot of underground heros!" He chuckled again. "Plus, I've met you once before when I was working. You were probably too busy to notice. Not that I blame you; I look different when I'm working." Yagi's smile fell and his bright eyes dulled. "Much different."

"Hmm." They parted ways there, Shouta picking up a can of the soup Yagi recommended instead and putting his first choice back on the shelf. Nemuri and Hizashi came back shortly after.

"We've got tissues, sinus medicine, daytime cold medicine for school, and cough syrup! You got your food choices?" Shouta put two cans in their basket, stretching after squatting down for so long.

"SHOUTA! You're going to need more than one or two cans! THREE MEALS A DAY!" Hizashi loudly objected.

"No. Just one." The Erasure hero argued. Nemuri cut in with a counter offer.

"Two meals, both light." She haggled. Hizashi looked back and forth, not wanting to miss even a second of the action.

"One and a snack." Shouta shot back, and they shook on it.

_"You're lucky to have such nice friends."_

Shouta fought off the small smile that threatened to appear on his face. He really was lucky, wasn't he?

\--

Shouta showing up at Yagi's house shocked the blond and raven haired man alike. He'd held on to the umbrella, despite his embarrassment over the cheesy sunflower pattern, and had been on his way home from the school when his feet got other plans. Looked like he had no choice but to return the umbrella today after all.

He could see the house a lot more clearly in the evening sunlight; the outdoor panels were light blue, the shutters were white, and the clean white door had a cute little sign on it. Yagi's garden was flourishing with little flowers of all colors. His windows were covered with light yellow curtains and white blinds. It was in every way, a sweet little place, the kind of house most retirees would want to live and pass away in. Though irritatingly domestic and cheery, Shouta had to admit he liked his "wipe your paws" welcome mat with the paw prints. That was cute; it brought a certain fuzzy little guy to mind.

Heh, Nezu would probably hate this mat, huh?

He knocked while still staring down at it. The paw prints were mostly dog prints. How disappointing. The blond answered, his mouth covered by a white rag covered with dark stains.

He looked exhausted, even worse than Shouta sometimes did, and he couldn't hide his surprise when he saw the pro hero. Still, he tried to feign a smile, to hide the cloth in his pocket before he asked any questions. It wasn't as if he was going to, but he did raise an eyebrow at the blond's desperation to hide his secret.

"Here's your umbrella." Shouta thrust the folded vinyl umbrella into his hands, deciding not to make any comments about the blood stained handkerchief. He wasn't a fool; after so many years working as a hero, he knew what dried blood on white fabric looked like.

"You don't have to return it, but thank you." Yagi smiled, taking it from him with shaky hands. Shouta noticed his sudden weakness but didn't comment. It wasn't any of his business; they weren't friends, and Yagi played it off as if he did it all the time. It wasn't his place to comment on someone else's health issues.

"Your mat has mostly dog prints, by the way. It's a bit irritating." Honestly, Shouta couldn't say what possessed him to comment on that at that moment; it just slipped out before he could help himself. Somehow this guy always made his self control and instincts take a holiday.

Yagi stared at him, dumbfounded for a moment before laughing so hard that he started to cough, covering his mouth with that same white cloth. There was no malice or mockery in his laugh, it was just genuine surprise and amusement. Maybe that's why the sound had Shouta fighting back a smile. It was just...nice.

"I suppose you're right; a cat lover wouldn't be a fan of it, I'm sure." Yagi eventually replied with a smile. "It was a gift from a friend, so I never looked at it that hard! How could you tell?"

"I spend a lot of time looking at cat paws." Shouta shamelessly admitted. There was nothing embarrassing about admitting that he spent a lot of his time looking at pictures of cat paws online; it was a normal human past time as far as he was concerned.

"They are quite cute." Yagi nodded in understanding, that same smile still on his lips. "Would you like to come in? I made a fresh pot of coffee." Shouta only hesitated for a moment before accepting.

\--

The fourth time they met, Yagi spotted him on the street. The blond had called out to him several times, but Shouta paid him no mind. After all, it wasn't like they were friends, or like Yagi was calling him by name. Who the heck was '_Mr. Black Cat?'_

"What's with the nickname?" He asked, honestly not minding it as much as he should. Yagi's face flushed slightly.

"I never got your name." The blond sheepishly admitted. "But that seemed to fit. I apologize if you dislike being called that."

"It's fine, just weird." The teacher replied, tugging at his scarf as he talked. "Like if I called you Mr. Sunflower or something." He started to walk again, not bothering to ask Yagi where he was headed. He didn't care. If they were heading the same way, they'd walk together but if not, they wouldn't. There was no problem either way.

Yagi chuckled as he walked alongside him, keeping his steps small in order to keep up with the other man's leisurely pace. "Mr. Sunflower?" He inquired a bit teasingly.

"You remind me of one." Shouta explained without missing a beat. A comfortable silence fell on the pair as they walked, the skinny blond smiling softly, a hint of sadness in his blue eyes. Finally, Shouta spoke, eyes fixed on the ground and hands in his pockets. "Aizawa."

"Eh?"

"My name. It's Aizawa Shouta." Yagi grinned happily.

"What about your hero name?" The blond asked excitedly. "I saw you fight once, but nobody knew who you were even when I asked around."

"Eraserhead. I'm underground." Shouta replied. Even without looking at Yagi, he could guess what expression he had on his face. Those who had heard his name before knew his quirk...and in a world where people depend on their powers to define them, his wasn't exactly well received. He couldn't even count how many people suddenly gave him the cold shoulder after learning about his quirk; they didn't like the idea of someone who could take away that big a part of them, even if he never made any moves to do so.

"The erasure hero...I heard of you before." Yagi replied without the awkwardness or cold edge Shouta was somewhat accustomed to by now. "That's an amazing quirk; I imagine it's quite rare as well!" Once again, Yagi was nothing but genuine.

"I guess so." The black haired man replied, once again fighting a smile. It seemed to be a common occurrence when he talked to Yagi. "What about yours?" The other man fell silent for a moment, averting his eyes.

"I'm...I was born quirkless." Yagi replied a bit awkwardly. His voice sounded off; it was missing the sincerity it always had. It couldn't be any more obvious that he wasn't telling the full story. Still, it wasn't his place to pry, so Shouta just hummed in reply. "Ah, there's my stop up ahead. It was rather nice seeing you again, Aizawa-san!"

\--

The fifth time had no pretence nor was it a coincidence. Shouta just showed up at his house. To be more precise, his feet took him there without clearing it with his brain first. Still, Yagi invited him in for coffee all the same.

"No, that ending was terrible." The teacher argued. It was somewhat nice to find out that Yagi was the type who liked to actually talk about and rate movies after watching them; Hizashi would just imitate his favorite scenes like a child.

"How so? I found it quite satisfying, though it is a bit odd for a girl to have a crush on a fake cat. Haru grew quite a bit by the end of the film's story, started expressing herself more openly and not only became more confident, but matured as a person. What did you find so dissatisfying about it, Aizawa?"

"Who gives up the chance to be a cat?" Shouta asked in all seriousness, watching Yagi smile and laugh. He really did like that laugh after all.

"You always seem to say the most unexpected things! Would you truly go through with a marriage to a cat in order to be a cat?" Yagi asked teasingly.

"I'd take over the kingdom without marrying the king and run it better than he could." Shouta nodded. "And sleep all I want."

Yagi's laugh was nice...and oddly familiar, like something he'd heard so many times and years before.

\--

After that, it became a regular occurrence for them to spend time together, usually at Yagi's house. As odd as their first meeting was, they were now friends. It was nice and comfortable, having a friend of the same age who wasn't in the same business. As much as Shouta cared for his best friends, Hizashi and Nemuri, they were big figures in the public's eye, people who shone so bright that nobody could look away. It was tiring to even be seen in public with them sometimes. But Yagi? He might be too skinny, have a long neck, and wear baggy clothes, but he was just a normal man.

A normal and oddly attractive man, but that's a thought for another time.

"What do you do for work anyway?" He eventually asked the tall blond on one of his visits. "And what does all the All Might merchandise have to do with it?"

"I get it all for free...I'm considering rounding it all up and donating it, even if it gets me into trouble at work." Yagi replied, staring down a creepily painted figure. It looked too realistic…like it might come to life and start punching everyone in the room. Did kids actually like figures like this? "As for my profession, well…" There it was again, the voice that told Shouta there was a secret underneath it all. "I'm All Might's...All Might's secretary." There was an audible twinge of guilt in his voice.

Shouta didn't press him for answers, sipping his coffee. It was as good as always.

Another time, Yagi—no, he was Toshinori by then— showed him his collection of paintings. "I suppose you could say it was a therapy project." Toshi admitted sheepishly. "I had an, ah, accident of sorts a few years back. Taking up painting helped me keep my mind off the pain and stress."

They were good for someone who'd taken no classes and who only painted as a casual hobby; Shouta had no embarrassment in telling him such. It was worth it to see Toshi's face light up like that.

One painting in particular caught his eye, the work stashed in the corner. Toshi had hid it? Why? Oh well. If the secretary wanted to keep it a secret, Shouta would just have to respect that.

Yet another time, they were watching a movie together when Toshi's phone began to ring. Shouta quietly paused as the blond answered the call with an apologetic grin. "Ah, Tsukauchi! What is it, my friend? Today…? I'm afraid I can't today, but perhaps we can get lunch tomorrow?" Shouta sat awkwardly on the other side of the couch.

He'd never told his own friends about Toshi but could the same be said for the other man? Could he have told his friends about the strange underground hero who got attached to him like a stray cat? He didn't mind the idea of people knowing that they were friends or anything but... somehow, he liked it as their little secret.

"A guest?" Toshi hesitated. "No, I just...I wanted to fix up my house today, that's all. I haven't had many days off lately,and cleaning's quite therapeutic." He awkwardly lied, glancing over at Shouta who did his best to pretend he wasn't interested or listening. "I'm truly sorry. Tomorrow then! I'll see you then, my friend!"

The blond man hung up. After a short, silent pause, the erasure hero reached for the remote to play the movie but before he could press the button, Toshi apologized.

"I haven't told even my closest friend about you; I'm sorry." That stung more than he expected it to which was pretty ridiculous. Did he really expect Toshi to tell everyone he knew about him? Expect everyone to give their blessings or some stupid crap like that so they could continue to be close friends? Was he really that far gone already?

He'd only known the man for a bit over half a year; that was the the fastest he'd ever formed a close bond before. He didn't even consider Hizashi a close friend until they were almost done with their first year of high school. They were friends before then, yeah, but not close by his insurmountably high standards. (It was hard for him to face that the loud wannabe bird was going to be a big part of his life.) But with Toshi, the connection felt right. Their friendship was an easy one. So maybe he was a bit bothered by the fact that Toshi might not feel the same.

"It sounds childish, but I wanted to keep our meetings a secret. It made them feel more special." Toshi bashfully admitted. Shouta pressed the play button in reply, raking a hand through his hair to ease his flustered and shocked heart. There was a big possibility it didn't mean what he hoped it did. He had to be prepared for that.

But maybe, just maybe, there was a chance it did. "Me too." He quietly agreed, his voice drowned out by Chihiro's crying. Toshi didn't hear him, he was sure. But when he looked over, the skeletally thin man was smiling so wide that it made Shouta smile as well, hiding it behind his black, paw print patterned coffee mug, a gift from the blond to the caffeine addict. He wasn't embarrassed to say that he adored it.

Nor did he have any embarrassment in admitting to himself that he loved Toshinori. He loved how he laughed and smiled, so genuine and kind. He loved that he was cheerful despite his bad lot in life. He loved that he always had a cup of coffee ready for him when Shouta came by on Wednesdays and Sundays. He loved that Yagi played off his impressive job and connections as being no big deal, because he truly believed it wasn't. He loved that Toshi was bright, kind, and determined. They were far from similar, but he loved him.

Shouta was relatively sure it wasn't an unrequited love. There were many signs but most obvious of all were the little moments. Toshi didn't pull away from little touches, even if they were accidental. He always put a blanket over Shouta if he fell asleep. There were even moments where Toshi tried to tell him something; from the troubled look on his face, Shouta could guess it had something to do with his big secret.

The biggest sign of them all came on an otherwise normal day. School had ended and, exhausted and craving a good cup of unburnt coffee, Shouta dragged his feet over to Yagi's where a warm mug with half a spoon of sugar was waiting for him. They settled onto the couch as they always did and somehow ended up sitting closer together than they usually did. After that...he wasn't sure what else prompted it, but he did know that it was nice.

It was a soft kiss, longer than a simple brush of lips and more innocent than even a peck on the lips. It was just a sweet and rather nice moment. Yagi, though he was the one who initiated it, softly apologized afterwards. As much as Shouta wanted to brush it off, say it was nothing and all that BS, there was something about the hurt in Toshi's voice that convinced him the best thing to do was to not mention it at all. It was nothing, it never happened. They'd never talk about it.

It was obvious there was something there, something heavy, but they tried their best to ignore it. Toshi grew a bit more distant, hesitant, and somewhat sad. Shouta tried to act indifferent, but the feeling that he was just causing the other man problems just wouldn't stop eating away at him. He visited less, keeping his distance and even ignoring some of Toshi's texts.

He hadn't intended to become that man's friend; he sure wasn't going to be a nuisance. It sucked and it hurt a bit, but their relationship wasn't one that made much sense anyway. Yagi was bright, always facing the sun, seeing the positive possibilities of tomorrow while Shouta found comfort in darkness and steeled himself for only the worst of what tomorrow could bring. Black cats and sunflowers had nothing in common; why should they be any different? No matter how much Shouta had treasured that relationship or if he'd made the first move...it wasn't like it would work anyway.

It was time to stop dreaming already and just sever their connection now, before it got too hard. Or that's what he thought anyway. Fate had other plans.

All Might as a teacher...Though he somewhat respected the hero for his service, the thought of the man trying to take up a teaching position worried him.

They were teaching the heroes of tomorrow, teaching them how to be smart in a fight, how to do whatever you can to survive while saving as many people as possible, and how to react in a crisis. The older hero certainly knew how to save and protect people, certainly had a strong sense of justice, but he gave everyone the idea that strength was all you needed, that blazing through a problem and making a big bang of it was the best solution rather than using your wits and making the best of what you have.

"What you're about to see must absolutely not leave this room." Nezu gravely announced, the buff man beside him looking anywhere but at Shouta. What was his problem? They'd only met once before, and the erasure hero completely ignored him. Was that it? Or was there something el—

Oh.

"What you're seeing now is the hero All Might's true form; due to a severe injury he can now only use his quirk three hours a day."

It all almost made sense now.

"I know this is a lot to take in but he and I both will be depending on your support, everyone!"

Even as his fellow teachers and heros surrounded him, excited and curious, Toshi, no, All Might remained soft spoken, and his eyes constantly flickered over to where Shouta stood, processing everything. The guilt in his eyes was clear as was his silent plea:

_"Please forgive me for this."_

Wordlessly, the underground hero shook his head and walked right out of the room, too exhausted to even fake excitement or interest. Who said a secret or two never hurt anyone? They're an idiot.

Shouta decided that he needed a cup of something strong to help him process this twist.

Or maybe the whole bottle.


	2. No More Secrets, Mr Sunflower!

Blue eyes hesitantly met black.

Yagi almost wanted to reach out to Aizawa, to apologise for keeping this huge secret. He wanted to convince him that it was for the best. Anything to keep him from hating him. He didn't want that._Please, don't make him hate me!_ He pled with no one in particular.

But when he saw the way Aizawa looked at him, his already heavy heart fell like a brick.

There was no hate or scorn in his eyes, no betrayal. His face was unreadable and his eyes, focused on Yagi, didn't give even the slightest hint into what he was thinking. If anything, Aizawa just looked...exhausted. The dark haired teacher walked out quietly as the other teachers excitedly crowded around Yagi. Only he seemed to have noticed Aizawa's silent exit.

The blond forced himself to return his attention to the other heroes, awkwardly forcing a polite smile. Mic was talking about having him as a guest on his radio show; Yagi pushed aside the heavy feeling in his chest and agreed. "That would be great, thank you." If he gave away how he really felt, nobody said anything.

He sighed as he sank into his office chair, pretending not to notice that Aizawa was nowhere to be found. While he knew he should be working on preparing his classes before the school year started in just a few days, his mind couldn't help but wander.

He never meant for what he and Aizawa had to become so...important. It hadn't started out as being anything more than a casual act of kindness.

_Yagi had seen him when he was glancing outside, wondering if the downpour would mess up his garden bed. He hoped not; he'd only started getting the flowers to grow in the past year or so, and they always put him in a good mood when he saw them. But he stopped caring about his flowers when he saw someone hunched over his front gate._

_Yagi__ Toshinori, even with as frail as he looked, was still a hero at heart. And he would never forgive himself if he didn't help someone who was in need. (Though if he ever said that to Aizawa, he might've scoffed at the idea that he was in need of help.)_

_So he invited the dark haired man into his home, gave him a warm drink and dry clothes. If his tub had been clean, he would've offered to run him a bath. The scarved man looked dead tired, so the blond wasn't surprised when he fell asleep during the movie's opening scenes. He just carried him off to bed; if he was that tired, he needed a good night of rest, not a couple hours on a small couch._

_(Though Yagi would never admit he used a part of his three "All Might" hours that night to pick his unexpectedly heavy visitor up.)_

_When morning came, he made coffee, the same blend as last night. The man seemed to like it before. Should he make breakfast too? Yes, he definitely should! That man was running on fumes, a healthy, warm breakfast would do him some good. Omelettes with lots of veggies and some whole grain toast, he decided. Nothing made a morning better than that!_

_But the mystery man didn't eat it. So he would wear his clothes, sleep in a stranger's bed, but accepting food from a stranger was too far? What an odd sense of stranger danger! He had to stop himself from laughing; it was unexpectedly funny...and a bit cute, actually with how wary he suddenly was._

_Which__ wasn't something he usually thought about other men, but it wasn't the first time. Or the last. But that was completely beside the point._

_Even__ with all that happened and all he did, after he saw the other man (he knew him from somewhere, even if he couldn't quite place the face), he hadn't expected anything to come of it. It was just an interesting one time encounter with a handsome man one rainy night, nothing more._

_No__ use hoping for anything to come of it. They'd probably never meet again._

_The__ next time was a complete coincidence. He hadn't expected to ever see the man again. But he felt bad for being so happy when he realized how out of it the other man was. He'd caught a cold? No wonder, with how soaked he was that night…But the overwhelmed look on his face as he stared at the soup selection was what prompted him to speak up._

_His__ concern faded slightly when the man's friends showed up too. Yagi smiled; they cared about him so much. He was definitely in good hands. No need to worry._

_He__ couldn't believe it when he showed up on his doorstep the second time. And the hero (he recognized him now by the goggles and scarf, but still didn't have a name) commented on his mat. He talked about how much time he spent looking at cat paws. He couldn't help but laugh as he stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket._

_"Would you like to come in for some coffee?" He offered, sincerely hoping that the man would accept. He did. The blond couldn't stop smiling._

_And__ when he finally learned his name an encounter later, he grinned. Eraserhead! The hero name suited him, a unique name for an interesting hero. And one with a truly impressive quirk...not that Yagi didn't already know that much from their actual first encounter._

_Did__ Aizawa remember? He wondered after they parted ways that day. Of course, he wouldn't have recognized him looking like this, but his hero form was hard to ignore. But then again, this was Aizawa...Yagi couldn't help but chuckle. He probably wouldn't treat him any different as All Might anyway._

_Still__, even if his new friend had forgotten, that was a day he was never going to forget in a hurry._

_The__ routine of Aizawa staying the night for coffee became something to look forward to each week. They'd watch movies or talk, Aizawa's stories about his students (though he apparently had very few) and hero work always entertaining to listen to._

_"His quirk is strong, and he's a natural at fighting." Shouta said about one of his students one night as they relaxed on Toshinori's couch. The TV droned on in the background, the show they were watching earlier completely forgotten. "But his mind is the issue. He has a hard time thinking ahead and has trouble thinking of ways to use his quirk in the heat of the moment."_

_Shouta took a sip of coffee. "He also has the worst grades in the class. I've been trying to arrange a mentorship for him since he hasn't gotten any offers. Can you think of anyone?"_

_Toshinori smiled. As aloof as the dark haired hero might seem, he really did care about his students. "I can think of one or two I've met. I can ask them if they're interested in taking a student or two."_

_On another night, he'd shown up while Toshi was painting.__"Sunflowers?" Shouta asked with a small smirk. If it was anyone else watching him, Toshi might've been nervous. But since it was Shouta, he grinned, the tips of his ears getting pink._

_"I suppose it's because we share similarities," Yagi joked with a small chuckle, "but I like them quite a bit." After all, that's what he had called him, wasn't it? Mr. Sunflower._

_"Me too." Aizawa quietly agreed, relaxing into Toshi's highly padded office chair as he watched the blond paint. Out of the corner of his eye, Toshinori thought he saw Shouta smiling but when he turned around minutes later, the Erasure hero was already fast asleep. Careful not to wake him, the blond tip toed out of the room, returning with a blanket._

_He'd__ carry him to an actual bed later. For now...he looked way too peaceful to disturb him._

"—ight himself!" A sudden, but familiar high pitched screech dragged the blond, unwillingly, from his little trip down memory lane. Like he did every time a fan shouted or screeched after meeting him, he put on his friendliest smile and hoped he didn't disappoint.

Although...it felt useless to do that in this body. Disappointment was more or less guaranteed when the "undefeatable" hero looks so mangled and defeated. Who would want to see the Symbol of Peace looking like this after all?

But what he was met with when he turned around wasn't disappointment, it was the admiring and excited stares of other pro heroes who introduced themselves to him, one by one.

Lunch Rush shook his hand excitedly and told him how he used to bring All Might themed bentos to school as a student; they were a real hit! Tons of classmates asked him to make some for them too.

Cementosss grinned widely as he told All Might how his first job as an intern was repairing roads that All Might inadvertently destroyed while fighting a tough villain. Toshinori apologized profusely, but everyone just laughed.

Ectoplasm even shared how he used to use his quirk to play All Might vs villain by himself as a kid. Everyone teased him for it later, but there was no malice in their jabs and laughter. Nor was there any disappointment or disgust in their eyes; he felt terrible for expecting it when they turned out to be so kind and understanding.

Somehow, even with the anxiety gnawing at his empty stomach, Yagi found himself smiling and chuckling at the other heroes' jokes.

He almost forgot the look on Aizawa's face. Almost.

His co-workers noticed how intent Aizawa was on avoiding him in the following days before classes officially started. They noticed how uncomfortable Yagi seemed around the underground hero. But they didn't seem to think much of it. Midnight and Present Mic even tried to cheer him up once.

"Don't worry about Shouta; he doesn't hate you. He's just….He's got worse social skills than statue, that's all." Midnight explained. Yagi weakly smiled at the friendly reassurance. Aizawa's friends really cared for him. What would they say if they knew the real reason for Aizawa's standoffishness?

"Thank you Midnight." He laughed as convincingly as he could.

"Nemuri, Yagi. You can call me Nemuri." She winkee. "When we're off the clock anyway."

There was a lot of work to do, too much to mull over his mistakes for too long. He wasn't exactly sure how to be a good teacher, but he put his all into finding out. Midoriya and his future classmates would be counting on him. This was no time to get wrapped up in things he should have done differently.

But every time Aizawa walked into their office, he froze, an apology trying to slip out of his lips. Aizawa would ignore him, treat him like anyone else. When he had a correction or suggestion, he left it on Yagi's desk when the blond was away and was nowhere to be found when he returned.

The next time they talked was when he issued his new homeroom class a strict test. Yagi couldn't help but try to watch over his successor, despite knowing he's be caught in no time at all. All Might was too attention grabbing (and too big) to hide around the corner.

It hurt when Aizawa called him out for being too partial to his successor. He knew he was right, he was showing too much concern over a student he supposedly hadn't even met yet. What really hurt him was the way Aizawa looked at him when he said the test was too strict; how could he base who could or couldn't become a hero on a round of physical tests?

He glared at him. The same Aizawa who used to come over for coffee and whatever movie Yagi had on hand looked at him like he was an idiot.

Yes, he later understood his reasoning, and yes, he was being a bit of a fool. In the moment, Yagi couldn't see that; he was just scared of seeing Midoriya's dream being crushed.

He wasn't just worried because the young man was his successor, he was worried because Midoriya took All Might's trust in him so seriously. The poor boy would feel like he let him down, when he was actually proud of him for fighting to get this far. Because he used to be a young boy just like him, whose hero's faith in him meant everything, he didn't want that to happen.

And so he criticised the methods of a teacher far more experienced than him. A teacher who, in fact, was worried that the young man was going to be a hero who'd destroy himself in the process of saving others. Yes, maybe he was a bit harsh, Yagi realized soon after their awkward disagreement, but he knew how hard being a hero could be. He just wanted the best for his students, like he always did.

He felt so foolish after the relief of Midoriya and his classmates surviving the test passed. To make matters worse, Aizawa was still effortlessly avoiding him so there was no chance of apologizing for this too.

So lieu of an apology, he made an extra stop on the way to work the next day. Thankfully, the coffee shop wasn't crowded; this hidden gem was still hidden, it seemed. "The usual beans?" The barista at the counter grinned. "Told you our roasts are good."

"Actually, today…"

When he placed the bag and takeout cup on Aizawa's desk, he felt everyone's eyes on him. Their coworkers had noticed how they acted around each other and their small argument had become common knowledge. He cleared his throat out, feeling uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on him. He was doing something completely normal, nothing to be embarrassed about!

He didn't get to see Aizawa's reaction when he found the gift. But he carried the cup with him all day, so he felt it was safe to assume he didn't hate it. Thank goodness!

It was the same coffee he always made at home, and Aizawa seemed to have enjoyed that quite a bit. Or maybe he was being polite? No, Aizawa wasn't the type to pretend to like something just for manner's sake.

He brought another cup the next morning. He debated leaving the address to the cafe too, but thought better of it. If Aizawa knew where he got the coffee, he wouldn't have an excuse to bring him some every now and again. Even if he didn't get to see his estranged friend's reaction and even if it didn't close the rift growing between them, he liked being able to do this.

Besides, Aizawa knew it was from him but never threw the coffee out. That was a good sign, right?

The day 1-A was set to have a practical lesson at USJ, he was both a nervous wreck and over the moon. Maybe, with them having a joint class, Aizawa would talk to him. He'd get to apologize properly and tell him his side of the story. They'd be friends again or maybe…

But regardless of his form, he was still All Might. He couldn't pass by anyone in trouble, especially not some poor woman whose purse was snatched right out of her hands! He didn't think of how much time he would have left as All Might. His body moved before he had a chance to think about it.

He was a bit upset with himself when he got to work and his three hours had been used up. So much for a joint class! But he didn't regret it one bit; it was a hero's job to help others, no matter what.

He didn't regret it until they realized there was a problem at USJ. Iida appeared in costume, fear in his eyes. He'd run the entire way from USJ to the school without a single break or pause. As soon as he saw him, Yagi rushed out.

Thirteen and Eraserhead were strong heroes. But they had the children to protect; they would focus on getting the kids to safety first. They needed backup immediately! And he...He should have been there.

What he saw when he got there was nothing short of a nightmare. Several lower level enemies had been taken out and the ring leaders remained. As for Aizawa and Thirteen…

Only once before had he felt so angry, so angry that he wanted to fight, he wanted to hurt someone. He only felt this once before today, when his teacher was murdered. And now, looking at his terrified students trying to rescue their teachers, trying to treat their wounds, seeing Aizawa beaten and bloody…

To hell with his limits. To hell with forgiveness and atonement. They hurt his friends, truly good people. They hurt children. They hurt his students.

Unforgivable!

This fight was one much harder on his body than any other he had in years. His body ached in pain every time he moved, with every punch he threw. He didn't care, nothing was going to stop him from protecting the ones behind him!

It was a blur of pain and anger until he landed that last hit. The creature the villain leader called Nomu had finally been brought down, but he had no time nor strength left to confront the man with the hand on his face. He'd been the ones giving the orders all this time, clearly the leader.

He felt himself transform back and was relieved when Iida returned with the other teachers. The kids would make it out safe. They could get Aizawa and Thirteen some medical attention. Blocked from sight by Cementosss's walls, he listened to the others fight the remaining villains.

His own battle had taken a lot out of him, he doubted he could remain as All Might for three hours now. Blood ran down his chin and he wiped it away with the back of his wrist. His time was running out far quicker than expected...and this attack happened as if they knew.

But it couldn't be…

Aizawa didnotwant to sit still and be treated, not when he had potentially injured students. Though he would kill to sleep all day in any other circumstances, he was not going to be wrapped like a mummy and ordered to stay in bed when his students might need him.

But when Recovery Girl, with her sweet grandmotherly face and voice, tells you it's her way or the highway, you lie down and shut up. So that's what he did.

Hizashi and Nemuri visited of course, poking fun at him for being wrapped head to toe. They laughed and teased but anyone could tell they were relieved they didn't lose him. Nezu visited once, but it was quickly determined that they didn't want him around dozens of sick or hurt humans.

Yagi was the last to visit, late in the day. He didn't crack any jokes or laugh. He didn't say anything about him being brave during the attack. He was just quiet. He didn't know what to say or how to say it.

Eventually, he settled with "Are you alright?" Aizawa shrugged in reply, finding it surprisingly difficult. More silence.

The sun was setting outside and the light shining through the hospital room window painted the room a warm orange. Aizawa couldn't see it, his eyes bandaged over. But Yagi could and Visiting hours would soon be over, he realized. And he still hadn't told him what he wanted so badly to say.

"I'm sorry."

He said it in barely more than a whisper and tried to compose himself. He couldn't break down. Not now when Aizawa was so badly hurt because of his foolishness, acting without thinking, not being there when he should've been, for being the reason those criminals attacked to start with…

But when those two words slipped out, a flood of regret and emotion came with them.

_I'm sorry I wasn't there to help. I'm sorry I didn't think before using my time up. I'm sorry they hurt you. I'm sorry for arguing with you about Midoriya. I'm sorry for kissing you that night. I'm sorry I lied to you all that time!_

"I'm so sorry…" He apologized again, willing himself to not cry. Aizawa was silent for a a couple of minutes, some of the longest in Yagi's life, before he replied.

"Toshi," Yagi's foolish heart jumped at the affectionate name. "I'm not mad."

He didn't know what to say to that. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant. So he didn't say anything at all; he decided that was the safest option by far.

The two sat, or in Aizawa's case lied down, in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable, Yagi thought, but it was a hard silence to break. So many things were running in his mind, from how much he missed Aizawa being near him to how light he was when he carried him in his arms, moving him away from danger. He really was too light; he needed to eat a bit better.

"Yagi-san? Aizawa-san?" A nurse poked her head into Aizawa's room with a friendly smile on her face, "I just wanted to let you know visiting hours are ending in ten minutes!"

"Ah...Thank you." Yagi replied, slowly rising from his seat, his muscles aching in protest. That last fight really pushed him too hard...he was still hurting, long after Recovery Girl's treatments. He tried not to show how badly he hurt by doing that, and quickly put a smile on his face despite how he truly felt.

"Aizawa, please...get some rest."_I hate seeing you hurt like this. I hope you heal soon._

"Yeah, you too." Aizawa replied, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly. As Yagi left, he turned his head towards the window as if watching the nurse draw the curtains.

Yagi went back the very next day Mic and Midnight; it was Aizawa's last day in the hospital.

Considering how badly he was hurt, everyone was amazed that Recovery Girl's powers (along with some minor help at the hospital) had him back on his feet so quickly. Yagi already knew how impressive her healing was from experience, having relied on her many times in the past. He was truly grateful to her, not only for helping him all those times before, but for helping Aizawa now.

Again, neither of them had much to say. However, silence was somewhat enjoyable this time; both of them had had their fill (and more) of Present Mic's reactions to the situation. He got asked about the attack a lot on his radio show (somehow the news had already slipped out) and went on rants about it in the teachers' office. Then he would visit his best friend and rant to him about how they never mention him or ask if he and Thirteen were okay.

"—LL THEY ASK IS ABOUT HOW ALL MIGHT SAVED THE DAY! THEY NEVER ASK ABOUT ERASER, THIRTEEN, OR THE STUDENTS! YOU DID GREAT ALL MIGHT, BUT THEY NEVER GIVE ERASER ANY CREDIT AN—"

Mic was always so laid back or insanely excited, he didn't know how to react to the angry outbursts. Luckily Midnight knew how to make him relax so his venting didn't make them all deaf. As painful as it was to listen to him when he was so worked up, it was sweet to see how much he cared about his best friend.

"I'm underground; almost no one knows who I am." Aizawa had responded, picking at his meal. It was really hard to try to make himself eat when he couldn't even tell what he was eating. "Stop getting so upset by it, Hizashi."

Hearing Aizawa call others by their first name so casually made him think of that one moment the day before.

"_Toshi, I'm not mad."_

What exactly did that mean? If he wasn't mad, what made him avoid him all that time? Yagi was dying to ask him now that Mic and Midnight had left the room. If only he could stop the words from getting stuck in his throat, that would be great.

In the end, he never coughed up the right words (just a bit of blood when he forced back a chuckle at Aizawa fighting his food, trying to use a spoon as a fork and failing), and never got an explanation.

He was alright with that. If he wanted to fix this, he couldn't just apologize; it had to be the right words from the heart. It was his job to figure out what those words were.

The days came and went and soon Yagi's worst fear was confirmed. That Nomu creature did have multiple quirks and not some odd enhancement quirk. The human originally inside had lost their mind and humanity as power after power was bestowed upon them. The only person who could do that...was supposed to be gone.

He was so sure that man was going to die after that battle. They both suffered terrible, life threatening injuries. Still, despite the high price, he was so sure he had rid the world of that man's evil…

Now that he had passed the flame of One for All, he knew he wouldn't have a chance to make his mistakes right before his time ran out.

Guiltily, he told Midoriya the true history of One for All and the terrible burden he had unknowingly put on the youth's shoulders. He also gave him one task for the upcoming Sports Festival; it was Midorya's turn to tell the world "I am here!"

Midoriya accepted, just as he knew he would, and Yagi smiled proudly. He chose his successor well, a bright and determined young man who chased after his dreams. He saw so many parallels between himself and the green haired boy and wondered if they were brought together by those similarities.

Aizawa, still bandaged but doing much better, got dragged into doing commentary with Mic so Yagi didn't get a chance to ask him if he wasn't to watch the festival together or not. Not that he would have much time to relax and watch with his own official duties. Still, the idea of the two of them sitting together, sharing popcorn like they always did, and when their hands touch...It would be like a date…

No, no! He had to clear those thoughts from his mind, he reminded himself yet again. He had finally slipped away from the crowd's eyes and blended in with the crowd, a jacket and sweatpants over his hero outfit. He had to find a good spot to watch his favorite class from.

He was never one for loud crowds, but he cheered with everyone else as he watched Midoriya clear the first trial with a risky gamble and a lot of wits. Then he found reliable teammates for the frightening second round where he was the number one target. He slipped away to encourage the teen when the one on one fights were announced.

He was upset later when he hurt himself (as his teacher, Yagi felt he should've taught him more control) but was proud of his student in resisting Shinsou's mind control. Those are difficult quirks to handle!

He further wrecked his arm while fighting Todoroki; Yagi was worried, but couldn't go out and say or do anything. In the end, he lost, but put up a strong fight. Not only that, Yagi later learned he did what a hero would do and did his best to help someone.

Midoriya seemed a bit upset and disappointed that he didn't end up ranking. But despite his concerns about the young man's reckless injuries, Yagi was justso proud!He did amazing, getting as far as he did in so little time!

After the festival, the students had a chance to shadow real pros at work. Not realizing what was going to happen next, the pro heros and teachers of U.A. had a bit of free time on their hands.

Sure, there were lesson plans to make, troublemakers to catch, and plenty of prep work to be done for when the students came back, but it was nice. In fact, it was especially nice to have the down time now when Aizawa no longer ignored and avoided him! In fact, the Erasure hero had gone up to him and told him all the flaws in his plans instead of leaving a memo on his desk!

It sucked to have all the issues called out to his face, but once Aizawa showed him, he started to understand the issues. And sometimes when he showed the experienced teacher his revised plans, he sometimes flashed a rare, small smile the blond's way.

At this point, Yagi just accepted it; he was in love with Aizawa, even more than he was before. He has no idea what to do about it; all he could really do was accept it and try not to be too obvious about it.

Unfortunately, he was always bad at lying and hiding things from people he really cared about. Not to mention how hard it was to control his expressions every time Aizawa talked to him. How did he do that so easily as All Might but fall apart around a handsome man who carries a sleeping bag everywhere?

They were becoming more comfortable around each other lately. Still, nothing was fixed yet. Even when they worked together or talked now, there seemed to be a wall between them. Working together was fine. Questions about work were fine. Anything beyond that, even something as simple and innocent as comments about the weather were not.

Needless to say, Aizawa still didn't show up weekly like he used to. Yagi missed those late night movies and conversations. He dearly missed their secret friendship yet knew he was the one who ruined it.

On top of everything else, he hadn't figured out Aizawa's words quite yet.

Preoccupied with all the thoughts in his head and with his affections for Aizawa, he didn't notice Midnight's constant stares or the smirk on her face when she saw Yagi's face flush a bit pink when Aizawa stretched, his shirt hiking up just slightly.

_Well, well...How interesting._

* * *

Yagi knew the other teachers were wonderful people, people who accepted him right away. He was grateful for that, but still wasn't quite sure as to how to interact with them, especially outside of work.

So running into Midnight at the grocery store on a bright Sunday was an awkward experience.

She looked much different with her hair up and with glasses. Her clothes were much less tight and very casual, dressed for comfort rather than for a fight. He wondered for a moment why she was wearing a jacket on such a bright and warm day, but quickly remembered how effective her quirk could be in a crowded area. "Oh, Yagi? You come here too?"

"Ah...Yes, it's close to home." He laughed awkwardly. "You look nice in casual clothes, Midnight." He attempted a compliment.

"Haha, thank you. And please, Yagi, call me Nemuri!" Her bright smile made him relax a bit. "By the way...do you have plans tonight?"

Tonight? There was a show he had set to record and some pictures he wanted to finish painting, but nothing important. "No, not that I know of yet." That got another tiny laugh from her. Like they ever got to make plans; a crime would probably happen the moment they thought they had it together!

"Why don't you come with us then? I've been meaning to have a chat with you lately." Midn—Nemui offered with a wink. He was about to awkwardly decline, saying he didn't want to impose on her and her company, when she added something that gave him pause. "It's about Shouta."

How was he supposed to turn her down now? "I'd be glad to take you up on that offer." He gave in with a polite smile.

"Great! Hope you like picnics!" She grinned. "By the way, you're not allergic to dogs, are you?"

"Dogs? No." Yagi smiled. "I like them quite a bit, actually." Why? He wanted to ask, but decided it didn't really matter. What he really wanted to know is why she wanted to talk to him about Aizawa. Did she know? How much did she know?

Apparently, he was more obvious than he thought. Or Midnight was more perceptive than he expected.

"Here we are!" She stretched before sitting down on the purple blanket someone had already laid out. She put her shopping bag down in the middle and ushered for Yagi to join her. "Great day for a picnic!"

_So this is why she asked about dogs!_They were at the park, sitting out on the grass while dogs and their owners trotted by on their walks or played together. He grinned. His jobs didn't offer a lot of time to care for a pet, but he did love animals. And with everything on his mind, dog watching was a perfect way to spend his day off.

"What happened between you and Shouta?" Midnight suddenly asked, her warm and friendly voice cold as ice. When he turned back to her, he saw she still had a smile on her face, but her eyes were just as cold and accusatory. "Don't pretend you don't know what I mean, Yagi."

"He's been my friend since high school; I can tell when something's wrong. Something's been up with him since you started working at UA. He avoided you, which isn't something he'd usually put the effort into doing. On top of that, the way he looks at you...I've never seen that before." She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"And then there's you, always giving him these sad, ashamed looks, going out of your way to try to make things better. At first it just seemed like he was being himself and you felt bad for making him uncomfortable. But that's not it at all, is it?" Yagi looked down at his lap, not able to meet her eyes.

"Tell me."

"I lied to him." Yagi softly admitted. "I told him I was All Might's secretary, that's how I had so many connections and why I got merchandise from work all the time." It's what he usually told people; it kept everyone safer when they thought he was just a normal, unhealthily skinny man with an impressive job.

After that, the whole story came spilling out from how they met that rainy night to the day their secret friendship ended. He told her about the day at the hospital, what Aizawa told him. He told her about how he fell in love with the other man.

When he was finished, she stared at him, blinking as she processed all the information. Finally, she spoke and the words sent them both into a fit of laughter. "He does spend alotof time looking at pictures of cat paws."

Neither one of them could explain why that was so funny, but for the first time in a long time, Yagi laughed so hard his sides ached.

"Oh my god, I told him to put himself out there, and he goes and hits on All Might!" Nemuri wheezed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I know we always say to go above and beyond, but that's not what we mean, Shouta!"

It felt good when it was their little secret, but Yagi felt some of his worries melt away after telling someone about everything. No, he felt better because he told afriendabout everything.

"I'm relieved." Nemuri finally sighed. "You're a good person, so I didn't really want to chase you off. He's one of my best friends; even if you're the greatest man in the world, if you hurt him or are no good for him, I won't stand for it."

"But I did. I lied to him." Yagi's shoulders fell along with his good mood.

"Yeah, you did. Your intentions were good at least, but you did hurt him. But in the end, what it comes down to is: you love him, he loves you, and you're both idiots." Nemuri grinned as she pulled a bag of trail mix out of her shopping bag.

"He loves me?" Yagi asked. Nemuri stared at him. Yagi stared back with genuine surprise and hope. Slowly, wondering how the most beloved man in the world (or at least in Japan and America) was so oblivious to how other people felt about him. The way his face lit up and then dimmed was startling. "Then what can I do to make everything right?"

Nemuri popped a handful of trail mix in her mouth and waited to see if he would figure the answer out on his own. Eventually, she decided to help him out. If she just left it to him, it would be years before she could embarrass Shouta by catching him and All Might making out in a supply closet!

"Think about it from his perspective." She hinted at the obvious.

As expected, the realization hit him like a lightning bolt and he leapt to his feet. "Thank you, Nemuri!" He exclaimed as he rushed off.

There were several eyewitness reports of All Might running around the city that day but no one could seem to figure out who the evildoer he was chasing was.

Rolling her eyes with a big smile, the dark haired 18 hero took a small book out of her purse and started reading. She helped a real couple get together today, time to read about fictional ones messing up.

"You're reading it?" A woman with short, dark red hair asked her, a grin on her face. "Isn't it good?" She relaxed on the blanket next to the hero without waiting for an invitation.

"They're adorable." Nemuri commented on the main pairing, leaning over to kiss the red haired woman on the cheek. "Not a big fan of the writer's best friend, but her love interest is a good character."

"Knew you'd like that one." The woman stretched lazily and fell onto her back with a thud. "Gosh, that USJ attack is a huge mess! We still can't find where they're hiding and how they made that "Nomu" creature." She groaned. "Everyone's a little freaked out; this is completely new to us."

"Don't forget you have us on your side too." Nemuri reminded her. "Keeping the peace is a team effort for us, police and heroes." The woman looked up at her with a loving smile. "Oh, by the way, something amazing happened!"

"Hmm?" The hero flashed the cop a childish grin.

"Shouta might get a boyfriend!" That didn't get much of a reaction, which was fair. For someone who neglected self care so much, Shouta had a fair number of admirers. "Someone as romantically clueless as him who he actually loves back!"

"Holy cow, really?! Never thought we'd see the day Eraser met his match!" The two women laughed and chatted for a little longer, enjoying, and later dozing off in, the warm sunlight. The snacks Nemuri had gone to buy were long forgotten as the two of them enjoyed a short nap.

* * *

Yagi wanted to kick himself. Not only did he miss something so painfully obvious as looking at Aizawa's perspective, he forgot something very important. Sunday was their day off. He had no idea where Aizawa lived and, given his dedication to hero work and sleeping, he could be anywhere. The odds of him being on a job and him being zipped up, sleeping comfortably in his sleeping bag in someplace where he really shouldn't sleep were about equal.

So instead of waiting until Monday when he knew he could find Aizawa, he spent his limited time as All Might trying to track down the other hero. In his defense, he was too excited to think logically.

He waited until Aizawa left the teachers' office, waiting to make sure no one else would overhear or think oddly of the situation. The perfect moment presented itself when Aizawa left earlier than everyone else, off to feed a stray cat who showed up in a grassy area behind the school.

He probably didn't think anyone knew what he was doing. They did, and everyone thought it was really sweet.

"Aizawa!" He called out as softly as he could as to not draw attention to the two of them. The dark haired man turned to him. As Yagi approached him, he started to rub the back of his neck in discomfort. "I nee—I want to talk to you. Tonight, please, I'll wait for you. If you don't come, I'll give up."

Yagi wasn't sure where that last part came from; it slipped out before he could stop it. He was going to give up? How?

Aizawa didn't reply, only turned and walked away, still awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

* * *

That night, Yagi tried his hardest not to stare at the clock. Night had long since fallen, and the world was quiet. He sat on his couch, staring at the TV but not watching the show.

When he finally gave in and looked up at the clock, it was nearly midnight. His small bit of hope snuffed out, he reached for the lamp. It was best not to get his hopes up…

_Knock, knock._

He didn't run to the door, he practically flew! He pulled the door open so quickly, he was almost worried he may break it.

Dark eyes met bright blue. He still looked tired, a bit disappointed. But this time, he didn't walk away. He kept his eyes locked with Yagi's and said, "I'm listening."

* * *

**

* * *

This has been on my Ao3 for a while so I'm going to throw it up here now and run lol****Thinking about a side fic for Midnight abd Kaede (oc).**


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